Churchill's Finest Hour 2011 - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

Retsinis

California

4.22/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a fellow BA (Thanks Skuter) bring this to a small tasting on Saint Patrick's Day at my place.

Poured from a 22 oz gray wax sealed bomber bottle into a Bruery tulip glass.

A: Pours a deep midnight black color, with a quarter inch of tan head, that quickly rose, then settled to just a ring of bubbles, leaving some light lacing.

S: Oak, roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla.

T: Chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, roasted malts, and a small note of oak. A little heat, but it is melded in with the flavors mostly.

M: Lightly carbonated, but creamy, and slick.

O: Pretty good right out of the bottle, and basically fresh since this was just released a few weeks ago. I'd seek it out again. A real treat to try juch a small batch beer.

Note: Seems this was a bit better on tap then bottle, from what others have said that were there when this bottle was purchased. Guess I'll have to wait to next year to find out.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 23:50:41 | More by Retsinis

MrFootstones

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Opens with a big hiss and foam creeps up and breaches the top of the bottle. Pours with a nice, substantial chocolate head and a body black as night.

Smells of roasted hazelnuts and almonds, vanilla, roast, booze.

A delicious marriage of bitter baker's chocolate and vanilla. Nutella, caramel brownies with toasted almonds. Heavy roast character but I feel it actually works well here.

Carbonation is high in this one. It works and keeps this 11% beast from being too heavy on the palate.

This is a great beer. Deep and very decadent flavors and a body that keeps it from being too much. Heavy enough on the roast and booze that I would love to try this again in a year or two.

Note: There was a sweet spot for serving temp of this beer. Too cold and you didn't get the depth of flavor and richness that it had to offer (kinda obvious, I know). Roast was more prevalent. Too warm and there was this raw whiskey character that was just too over the top boozy. Boozier than anything I've ever come across in spirits barrel aging.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 05:23:12 | More by MrFootstones

mrbubbler

California

4.9/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Chirchill's Renaissance.

A- Pitch black, with a small 1/2 inch mocha colored head

S- brownie, bourbon, chocolate syrup marshmallows

T- Chocolate syrup followed by sweet subtle vanilla from oak with traces of marshmallow. amazing.

M- Nice carbonation, with a nice coating mouth-feel.

D- This is one hell of a beer. I am very happy i was able to try this one. This might have dethroned the all might silva and parabola! As much as i dislike lost abbey at times, they really do make some stellar stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 02:41:17 | More by mrbubbler

Shaggy9356

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

*Unlabeled bottle brought over to the bar at Lost Abbey by Tomme Arthur himself for us to try during a brewery visit. This is the 2011 version to be released soon.

Big dark black stout with a tan head, nice lacing. The nose is dominated by vanilla, mocha and some cocoa powder.

Excited to taste this one. Wow, lots and lots of vanilla, some marshmallow sweetness, smooth bourbon, no noticeable heat. The barrel aging seems perfect on this beer. Appropriate carbonation.

I can't get over how much vanilla this has, maybe too much? I would expect it to die down a bit with age. Enjoyable stout, but couldn't handle too much of this in one sitting due to the sweetness. Really glad I had the opportunity to try this beer. Thanks Tomme.

-- moved by request from 2010 posting to 2011

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 23:24:12 | More by Shaggy9356

Sideswipe

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

At Churchill's. Silver waxed bomber poured into a snifter. Shared with my lovely wife.

The pour yeilds a one finger head of mocha colored foam which fades quickly leaving a small ring. The beer is black as night literally absorbing the light out of the room. The nose is roasted sweet malt with a bit of coffee. The taste is huge dark fruit, roasted malt, bourbon and oak. A bit of alcohol is evident in the finish, but it's very subtle. Feel is not as thick as I'd expect from a big barrel aged stout, but this doesn't detract from the beer at all, if anything it makes it more drinkable. A low to medium level of carbonation give the beer a creamy texture which is quite nice. The barrels were good to this brew. The oak smooths it out making it a very drinkable 11% stout. I'm regretting not getting up early enough to get here for the take away bottles. Maybe next year!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 21:00:55 | More by Sideswipe

ZX6girl

California

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at Churchills Renaissance.

What an amazing beer! Super black with a fluffy tan head. Smell reminds me of campfires when I was a child. Nice and toasty. The taste is out of this world! Nice and sweet with oak and bourbon present. A luscious mouthfeel that feels like silk in my mouth. Yummy! I'm glad I got 2 bottles of this!

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2011 20:55:06 | More by ZX6girl

ZX6Chris

California

4.85/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Chirchill's Renaissance.

A-Black as night. Very little head that settles to a tan ring. That's what a - bal stout should look like.

S-Toasted marshmallows, oak, sweet bourbon. Smells delicious!

T-Oak, bourbon, sweet toasted marshmallow comes through. Maybe a little heat on the finish.

M-full bodied and smooth, a nice prickly carbonation that carries the flavors across your palate.

D-It should be a sipper bu it's so good you find your glass empty sooner then you'd expect.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2011 20:53:30 | More by ZX6Chris

pastradul

California

4.83/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the renaissance!

Poured in a tulip. Full glass pour so not a lot of head. But is pitch black.

The aroma is heavy roasted malt followed and. Backed up with a strong bourbon kick and just a touch of alcohol.

The taste is just like the nose. You get a the strong malt and coffee Taste first then the bourbon takes over. A strong kick of whiskey on the mid palate. Then finishes like a smooth stout finishes off the palate.

This brew is amazing! I am glad Ivan said they went through extra steps this year to make sure it wasn't having any strange yeast in the beer this year.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2011 20:19:55 | More by pastradul

HopHead84

California

4.6/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

3/7/2011

2011 batch with silver wax. This is a blend of Serpent's Stout and Old Viscosity aged for 13 months in Jack Daniel's barrels. The ratio is unknown this year and Ivan said it will change every year, so this warrants a new entry for each batch, as each beer will be slightly different as the ratio of Serpent's Stout to Old Viscosity changes. This year seems to be heavier on Old Viscosity.

I enjoyed a couple bottles of the 2011 batch at Churchill's on Saturday and Sunday on the weekend of Churchill's 2011 Renaissance. Ivan was kind enough to open a bottle on Sunday night at the pub and I wrote this review off that bottle (though both bottles were equally good), thanks Ivan! Bottle opens with a hiss.

A: Pours black with a big creamy brown head. Nice retention and some scattered lacing. Nice color and head.

S: Let this one warm up. I'd serve it at room temperature, to be honest. The bottle was pretty muted when too cold, but after a while it really opened up as it warmed up. When it reached proper temperature it was very nice. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, dark and milk chocolate, and vanilla meld with prominent whiskey and oak notes. Light dark fruit notes are evident. Malt displays a moderate roasted quality, and there's a hint of booze. Smells great.

T: Smooth and rich, with cocoa and caramel accompanying moderately roasted malt and nicely integrated whiskey notes. Booze has a lower moderate presence and is very nice. I detect vanilla and a little brown sugar. Finish displays light tannins and a little oak. Chocolate, caramel, and whiskey linger in the finish.

M: Moderate carbonation and full in body. Mouthfeel is thick, creamy, and silky. Alcohol provides notable warming.

Overall: A very nice follow-up to the 2010 batch, which showed great promise but met a tragic end. Highly recommended if you are a fan of blended barrel aged strong ales.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 19:05:25 | More by HopHead84